Trout fishing limit of five recommended for U.P. streams

Michigan trout anglers are, for the most part, pleased about a recommendation by state fish managers to keep the native brook trout creel limit at five per day on Upper Peninsula streams rather than 10 as proposed by the state last spring.

“I am extremely pleased with the decision,” said Brad Petzke, a Marquette fishing guide and owner of River’s North Guide Service.

“They looked at the big picture and decided they need to do a lot more research.”

More research is what state officials have in mind. The recommendation from Michigan Department of Natural Resources fish biologists calls for studying a limited number of U.P. streams to determine how brook trout populations fare with a 10-fish limit.

“There is not justification for doing it (a 10-fish limit) U.P.-wide on all streams,” said Brian Gunderman, senior fisheries biologist with the DNR.

“Our recommendation is to pick a handful and do the research to see how they do and how many (anglers) are fishing those streams and harvesting more than five fish (per day).

DNR officials floated the proposal to double the limit last spring after being prodded by Upper Peninsula members of the state’s Natural Resources Commission.

Those members claimed U.P. anglers were dissatisfied with the five fish limit and no longer fish streams because of it. Doubling the limit, they said, would bring out more fishermen and boost the local the economy.

Past research by the DNR shows few actually catch more than five per day and that the risk of doubling the limit is slight, Gunderman said.

But critics maintained the data was old and that a blanket regulation for all U.P. streams was inappropriate. It might well put some populations at risk.

“There is more risk than they are saying,” said Bryan Burroughs, executive director for Michigan Trout Unlimited. “What they have is a 30-year- old study.

“We didn’t oppose 10-fish to keep people from keeping more to cook. We are in favor of finding places where the regulation fits well, like high-density streams.“

The final recommendation was developed after hearing online from 1,400 anglers around the state and those attending 17 public meetings, Gunderman said.

The results of the online survey showed 55 percent of participants support a five-fish limit, while 28 percent support a 10-fish limit.

Gunderman’s reported to the Natural Resources Commission in August that Lower Peninsula resident and nonresident anglers “clearly favored” the five-fish limit, while U.P. anglers were nearly split, with slightly more favoring five than 10.

Public comment will continue to be heard at the September and October NRC meetings in East Lansing and Ontonagon, respectively, after which DNR Director Keith Creagh will make a final determination.